Boiler-flue cleaner



(No Model.)

0. H. JEWELL, BOILE'Pb PLUB CLEANER.

' Patented May 23,` 1882.

Fay.

Lv'antur:

f5@ da# N. PETERS'.l FhoIu-Lilhugmpher. Wnshingmn. D. C.

f made in sections with joints, for either folding- -Nirn Smart-sf Iliter*nur Irren.

oMAaH. JEWELL, or o nionoo, ILniNoIs.

BOILER-FLUE CLEANER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Lettersfratene Nazca-126, dated May 23, 1882,

Application led September 13, 1881.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, OMAR H. JEWELL, of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of lllinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Boiler-Flue Cleaners; and I v do hereby declare that the following is a full,

clear, and exact description of vvthe invention7 referencebeing had to the accompanyingdrawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a' part of this specification. 1

The nature ot the invention relates to devices or apparatus for cleaning the lues in boilers. Heretoi'ore this was done by means of a brush or scraper attached to the end of a bar long enough for reaching through the entire length ot' the flue, and a sufficient open space had to be provided in front ot' the boilers for handling this bar 5 or, in places where such space could not be had, the bar had to be or uncoupling the same. With such an arrangement it required a considerable length of time to clean the lues, during which the draft to the fire had to be checked.

Now, it is the object of myinvention to produce a device which will requirevno room in front of the boilers, and by which the lines can be cleaned very rapidly and with ease; and it consists in an apparatus that is connected by a rubber hose with the steam-dome of the boiler, and from which the brush or scraper is propelled through the flue by steam, and is retracted again by spiral springs, all as more fully hereinafter described and specifically claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figurelrepresents a longitudinal section ot' the apparatus in position to clean a flue, and Fig. 2 a transverse section ot' the same.

Like letters represent corresponding parts in all the figures.

A denotes acasing of circularshape, having a detachable side plate, a, that is secured thereon by screws. This case A is provided with two pipe-necks, b and c, that project in opposite directions from one side of its periphery, and are in line witheach other. Upon the upper neck, b, is screwed a globe-valve,G, arranged with double conical or balance valves d, the stem of which is passed through a stuff- VeXtreme end of the Ipipe-neck c.

(No model.)

ing-box, e, at one side of the valve-case, while at the opposite side said valve-caseis provided with a hose-coupling,f. vThe pipe-neck c has an annular flange, g, forming a shoulder to aconical rubber ring, h, that is placed over the Said valvecase also has two handles, i and j, and to the handle t' is pivoted a small bell-crank, 76,. the

short shank ot which is in contact with the.

stein of valves cl in a manner that by depressing the long` shank of said bell-crank the valves d will be opened.

Into the casing A is pivoted a sheave, B,

.that is mounted upon aspindle, l, thejournals lhole drilled throughthe center of spindle-l and through the hub of sheave B. One end of this eyebolt o is surrounded by a coilspring, p, which is interposed between. the hub of the sheave B and a washer, q, secured upon the end ofv said bolt. The opposite end of lthe eyebolt'o has attached the end of a chain,

r, which is passed through an opening in the rim of sheave B, thence is Wound upon said sheave, and with its opposite end this chain is passed through the pipe-neck c, and is coupled to the flue-cleaning brush or scraper C. This brush or scraper C has a conical head, s, with an eye for connecting the chain, and at its base this headis of somewhat smaller diameter than the iiue to be cleaned. The shank ot' said cleaner or scraper is provided with radiallyprojecting wires or blades t, and its end is provided with a rubber disk, a, being about the size of the internal diameter of the boiler-flue.

D is the flue-sheet of a boiler, and E one ot' the dues.

A hose or flexible tube, F, connects globevalve G with the steam-dome of the boiler.

For cleaning the lues ot' a boiler the engineer or reman holds the apparatus by the two handles t" and j, inserts the brush or scraper C into the line to be cleaned, and presses the conical rubber ring h into and against the flue. Then, by depressing the bellcrank 7a with the thumb, thereby opening the IOO valve, steam is admitted into the casing, which finds no outlet excepting through pipe-neck c and through the flue E bypropelling the brush or scraper C, which, in being pushed through the flue, will unwind the chain lr from sheave B. This chain r is to be just of sufficient.

length to allow the scraper U to pass the entire length of the liuc, and no farther. The scraper C being pushed through the flue with great velocity, the chain 1' would be apt to be torn by the momentum of arresting its motion if it were not made elastic by the spring p.

The front rubber disk, u, ot' the scraper forms the piston or plunger to resist the steam, and thereby to cause the scraper to be carried through the flue by the pressure of the steam; but as soon as this rubber disk u has passed the end ofthe ue the steam will lose its force upon it and will esca-pe from between the wires or blades of the scraper. The chain r, while being unwouud, will turn the sheave B, whereby the spiral springs mwill be wound upon the ends ot' spindle lin a manner that, after the scraper C has reached the end of the flue and the engineer or fireman allows the valves d to close by releasing the bell-crankk, said springs m will cause the sheave B to turn in a reversed direction, so as to wind up the chain and again retract the scraper to its former position. Thus flue after flue can be cleaned by the force of the steam and the reaction of the springs in quick succession.

As will be noticed, this apparatus is simple in its construction, cannot Well get out of order, and is very easy to handle, while it is very et'- fectivc in its operation of cleaning the fines.

What I claim is- 1. An apparatus constructed substantially as shown, that is flexibly connected with a boiler and detachably connected with the flues of a boiler, in combination with a flue-scraper, and adapted to force the scraper through the Ilues by the pressure of steam, in the manner set forth.

2. An apparatus substantially as shown that is flexibly connected with a boiler and detachably connected with the tlues in the boiler, and arranged to force the scraper through the flue by the pressure of steam, and then to rctract it by spring-power, all in the manner substantially' as set forth.

3. The casing A, havingpipe-neck b, with valve G, and a pipe-neck, c, with rubber cone h, and iuclosing sheave B for winding chain 1', that holds scraper O, all constructed and arranged substantially in the manner and for the purpose described and shown.

4. In combination with the casing A, having pipe-neck b, the valve G and pipe-neck c, thc rubber cone h, sheave B, bolt o, and spring p, adapted to wind up the chain r, that holds the flue-scraper C, all substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

5. The casing A, having pipe-neck b, with valve G, that is provided with hose-coupling f, pipe-neck c, with rubber cone h, handles z and j, and bell-crank k, all substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

6. The casing A, having pipe-neck b, with valve Gr, pipe-neck c, with rubber cone h, and shells n, holding springs m, in combination with sheave B, spindle l, chain r, and lluescraper C, all constructed and arranged sub stantially in the manner and for the purpose set forth.

7. The combination,with the lue-cleaning apparatus described, of the flue-scraper C, composed of cone s, wire or blade carrying shank t, and rubber disk u, all constructed and arranged substantially as and for the purpose specified.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

OMAR H. J EWELL.

Witnesses:

F. W. KASEHAGEN, 19.11 FROMMANN. 

